Firewire Cards

Firewire 400 is Standard 400Mbps Firewire 1394a. It supports speeds of up to 400Mbps depending on device capabilities. The connectors are of two types: 6-pin and 4-pin. The 4-pin is very small and is used for Laptops, Camcorders and small portable hard drives. 6-Pin is widely used on Desktop Pc's and Macs.

Firewire 800 is another name for cards that conform to the IEEE1394b spec. 1394b is capable of up to 800Mbps, depending on devices. 1394b uses a 9-pin connector and is capable of much longer lengths than 1394a. 1394b is backwards compatible with firewire 400 (1394a) using 9-pin to 6-pin or 4-pin adapter cables.

PCI Express is the newest form of PCI Slot which has a smaller form factor and much higher possible speeds than a regular PCI slot. Use PCI-X Firewire Cards for your PC or Mac with PCI-xpress slots.